AboutWelcome to Free Software Daily (FSD). FSD is a hub for news and articles by and for the free and open source community. FSD is a community driven site where members of the community submit and vote for the stories that they think are important and interesting to them. Click the "About" link to read more...

At first glance, it will be difficult for Canonical and Ubuntu to compete with Apple's dominant iPad in the tablet market. But now that I've had some time to really think about the situation, I think the iPad will help to re-ignite Ubuntu's Mobile Internet Device (MID) effort against Microsoft Windows. Here's why.

Apple turned up the heat in the mobile market last week when it unveiled its new iPad mobile computing device. Jim Zemlin, the executive director of the Linux Foundation, has responded to Apple's product launch with a candid appraisal of Linux's strengths and weaknesses in the mobile market relative to Apple's mobile operating system.

When the $499 iPad tablet was announced last month, many journalists commented that the device was surprisingly affordable for an Apple product. This may not be the case however, as several sub $200 competitors running Google Android operating system have appeared.

The Ubuntu Desktop, lacking the technology and innovation of the iPad, is loosing ground in the race for a common desktop. This article provides three reasons the iPad is dominating and why Apple is making money while Canonical is struggling.

We can safely say that the Apple iPad is received with mixed feelings by the IT-savvy community. The main problem is that the tablet is just not as revolutionary as many expected it would be. It keeps many of the limitations of the iPhone (no multitasking, tightly controlled app-store) and doesn’t provide impressive new features which could keep the balance.

iPad 2, surely the most hyped device in the technology world today. Very shortly I have been thinking to upgrade to the most wanted gadget iPad 2. I have a good smartphone a handy laptop; I cannot convince myself on buying an iPad. Do I need it? If yes, then for what? For making “internet a wonderful experience” as they say.

I applaud Canonical for pushing Ubuntu beyond the desktop — up onto servers, and down onto mobile devices. But I’m starting to wonder: Can Ubuntu really gain traction on Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs)? Or put more bluntly: Does the world really need another mobile device operating system?

Apple's iPad was hardly the first tablet to appear on the scene, but it is unquestionably responsible for the recent spike in tablet development. Now it looks as if Ubuntu -; the Linux distro everybody loves to hate, but uses anyway - will be entering the field as well.

I know how we'll know whether the iPad is a success or not. That's right. Somebody will port a version of Ubuntu to run on the iPad. For now, let's call it the Ubuntu iPad Edition Remix. If the iPad touches anyone in the open source community, iPadBuntu is right around the corner. You know how else we'll know. Google will release plans for its own Linux-based pad. Let's call it the gPad.